The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-06

leans, In which said: The vessel
that carried Cesar had an ignoble
freight compared with the MayAower.'
At a subsequent meeting of the same
society, after the lamented death Of
Mr.. Prentiss. toast was offered to his
memory This was responded to by
one whose remarks were only conspic-
uous for the absence of all that lumi-
nous wit and glorious eloquence which
the mere name of the beloved Prentiss
brought back to our memories.
I'm 1847 public meeting was called
by the citizens of New Orleans in aid
of the starving Irish. | remember
that Mr.. Prentiss concluded his touch
ing address on that occasion in the fol-
lowing words: Go home and look at
your family smiling in rosy health, and
then think of the pale, famine pinched
checks of the poor children of Ireland.
and know you will give according to
your store even rs Providence has
given to you' At the time Of this ten
der and feeling appeal Mr.. Prentiss was
every moment expecting to hear of the
death of his eldest sister. In fact she
died few days after.
"In 1S4S heard Mr.. Prentiss argue
case before Judge Strawbridge.
When it was concluded, all aglow with
intense admiration for Mr. Prentiss. Il
asked the Judge, who had heard Mr..
Prentiss for the first time, what his
honor thought of himP He replied:
4 was greatly disappointed. In great
dsmay, asked the judge in what re-
spect he was disappointed He an
swered: u had heard Prentiss spoken
of as a great orator; found him to be
great lawyer. Where / expected
flowers of fancy and ornamental figures
of speech, glittering trophies and met
aphors. he gave mo profound, able, and
learned argument
81 recall, among other instances, two
illustrations of Mr.. Prentiss' wit. One
was that, on asking Mr.. Prentss why
New Orleans was called the Crescent
city, he answered that the crescent
moon had her horns and some people,
in this city like to take horn. Anoth-
er instance was when, in 1850, he said
that he was carefully dieting, and that
pastry, frut,-especially apples, are
maia prohibita. Now, you know, mdta
is the Latin for apples and also for
evils. Mala proiibita is law term
signifying evils prohibited by law.
MIR. Prentiss was a genius, but this
is not the time and place to discuss the
question whether Button was right when
he said Industry searches and genius
finds; and if Carlyle truly defines gen
ius TO be trancendental capacity of
taking trouble first of all; or was Plato
right when he declared that it is not an
art but inspiration, a divinity moving
you; and if Bacon correctly affirmed
that 1t is an exceptional gift, II not a
direct inspiration. Prentiss was a
genius as truly as Shakespeare was. al
though the Bard of Avon describes Boz
hemia rs on the sea coast"
Mr.. Cohen said that his knowledge
OF Mr. Prentss' acts and motives con
WINGED him that he was as richly en-
dowed with the highest and noblest
moral attributes as he was with mental
accomplishments, in learning, judg-
ment wit and humor and power of an
alysis He was chfvalrous, brave, gen.
erous, coniiding, loving, and loyelyt
Even his too great liberality and trus-
in the good faith of others were fail
inps that lean TO virtues side.